Secret Rescue
by Muggle Jane
Summary: Lavender has disappeared, and Parvati can't help but worry. Written for Jess for the GGE2014


**A/N: Disclaimer of not owning any canon characters or situations. Written for Jess for the GGE2014!**

Gryffindor's seventh year girls dorm seemed rather empty. Hermione was gone, of course; she was a Muggle-born. So was Kellah, for the same reason. At the start of the school year, it had just been Fay, Lavender, and herself. And now Lavender was gone, too. Parvati didn't know where her friend had gone, only that her absence was so prominent it was like someone was screaming about it every few seconds.

It was quiet, entirely too quiet. She and Fay got on all right, but there wasn't really a lot to talk about. Especially not now. She closed the bedcurtains out of habit and lay there, staring at the crimson canopy overhead. It was so hard to sleep at all this year. _Especially now._

Where had Lavender gone? Professor McGonagall had a very pinched look on her face when Parvati had gone to her that morning to ask the Head of House if she knew where Lavender was, and she'd only answered, "I can only hope she's with the others," with absolutely no explanation of what that actually meant.

Neville had gone missing some time ago, and then Ginny. Luna had been kidnapped, apparently on Christmas holidays, but at least as far as she knew, Neville and Ginny were still around the school somewhere. _And hopefully Lavender_.

It seemed like an eternity before she was able to still her mind enough to fall asleep, and it seemed like just a very short time after that, that someone was gently shaking her awake.

"Quiet," came the soft whisper in the darkness.

She sat up rigidly, the icy rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Was this it? She hadn't even received detention that day. Before she could reach for her wand, the bed was lit by the intruder. "Lavender?" She felt almost boneless in her relief. The two girls shared a quick hug.

"Get dressed, Parvati. Be quick, we've got to get back before they find us." Her friend's dirty-blond head disappeared back through the bedcurtains, and she quickly scrambled to pull some clothes on. She had so many questions to ask, but those would have to wait.

Parvati grabbed her wand and emerged from her bed. Lavender quickly grabbed her free hand, and the two started moving as noiselessly as possible toward the door and the stairs down to the common room.

They were out of the Gryffindor dorms and walking quickly down the hall when Parvati finally asked, "What if someone finds us?" Her voice was barely audible in the darkness.

"Seamus is causing a diversion so we can get you out tonight," came the whispered response.

Whatever Seamus was doing seemed to be working, because they didn't see anyone else between the the portrait of the Fat Lady and the distinctive corridor that housed the entry to the Room of Requirement.

"I tried here," Pavarti said. She wasn't whispering anymore, but she still kept her voice down.

"We've got it set very specifically; Neville will explain it to you."

The door appeared and Lavender pulled her quickly into the room. Neville was there, and Ginny- distinctive with her long red hair, and a couple of other students. Only Neville was awake, though, his face bruised and drawn. There were hammocks swinging gently, and a plate with some leftover sandwiches.

"We'll talk in the morning," he told the two witches quietly, and then went and settled himself tiredly in another hammock.

Parvati wasn't ready for sleep yet, though. Apparently neither was Lavender, because when she went to sit in a chair by the wall, Lavender soon followed, settling down close beside her. "I was so worried," she murmured, keeping her voice down again in deference to the sleeping students.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to bring you here right after Seamus told me about this place, but I had to go right away, and you weren't in class with me." Lavender did look truly apologetic, and Parvati reached over to take her hand and give it a comforting squeeze.

"It's all right. You're all right, that's all that matters."

"We won't be able to get Padma for a few days now, they'll be expecting it."

She nodded. Padma was in less immediate danger, though, being in Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor.

"It's not so bad here. There's a full bathroom, and Aberforth sends up food from Hogsmeade. It's the Room of Requirement, so we have everything we want."

"Thank you." Parvati offered her friend a tired smile. "What about Seamus; will they hurt him?"

"They won't catch him." There was a note of pride in Lavender's voice that made Parvati drop the hand she was still holding and look away. Lavender and Seamus had always been close. It was hard not to feel a little jealous, especially when Seamus had known where Lavender was and she didn't.

The chair she was sitting on shifted underneath her, the seat extending out into a loveseat. Lavender got up and sat down beside her, and firmly took her hand again. "I am sorry," she repeated emphatically, still keeping her voice down. "I came and got you as soon as I could. Neville wanted to get someone else, but I couldn't stand the thought of you out there with them..." she trailed off into silence, and Parvati couldn't help but feel a little guilty for her jealousy.

"It's fine, really. Thank you." She smiled. "We should probably get some sleep, though. It's got to be late." The energy from the adrenaline was wearing off, leaving her exhausted.

Lavender nodded. "Before we do, I just... Anything could happen, and I just wanted to..."

Before she really realized what was happening, Parvati felt the other witch's lips brush against hers in a soft kiss. She stared without saying anything until Lavender looked away. "Right. We should sleep." It was impossible to miss the utter disappointment, and she tightened her grip, refusing to let go of the hand still holding her own.

She wanted to reassure her friend, but it was a struggle to keep her eyes open. "We'll still be here in the morning." Still keeping ahold of Lavender's hand, Parvati led the way over to where the hammocks were gently swinging. They settled down in separate hammocks and fell asleep, hands still joined.


End file.
